Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease. In the United States, cancer accounts for 1 of every 4 deaths. With population growth and aging of the population, the number of new cancer patients is expected to double to 2.6 million people by 2050.
Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the third most common cause of cancer-related death. The most common form of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC is often diagnosed late in the course of clinical manifestation. As a result, only 10-15% of patients are candidates for curative surgery. For the majority of HCC patients, systemic chemotherapies or supportive therapies are the mainstay treatment options. Nevertheless, most chemotherapeutic agents show limited effectiveness and have not been able to improve patient survival. See, e.g. Ma Y T. Palmer D H. Impact of restricting access to high-cost medications for hepatocellular carcinoma. [Review] Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research. 12(4):465-73, 2012 August.
Oxprenolol is a non-selective beta blocker which possesses some intrinsic sympathomimetic activity. Because of its beta blocker function, oxprenolol has been used for the treatment of various diseases such as angina pectoris, abnormal heart rhythms, and high blood pressure. Oxprenolol is lipophilic and crosses the blood-brain barrier more easily than other more water soluble beta blockers. As a result, oxprenolol is associated with a higher incidence of CNS-related side effects than other beta blockers, but also has more central CNS modes of action.
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